Teacher retention in crisis: Informing policy to keep Ghanaian educators in classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64014/jik.v21i3.582Keywords:
employee turnover, teacher attrition, teacher retentionAbstract
Ghana's schools face a severe teacher retention crisis, with only 36 percent of teachers in a district survey planning to stay in their roles. Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of 138 teachers to investigate their reasons for wanting to leave the profession. Common themes emerged, including low pay, poor working conditions, and overwhelming workloads. Additionally, concerns about teacher well-being and the declining status of the teaching profession were highlighted as significant issues. The study sought to identify strategies to keep teachers engaged, employing a theory about employee turnover to guide the analysis. Researchers carefully examined the survey responses and pinpointed key strategies to address the crisis. These included reducing teacher workloads, improving working conditions, and enhancing the prestige and status of the teaching profession. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers seeking effective solutions to Ghana's teacher retention problems. The findings underscore the urgent need to address the factors driving teachers away and implement strategies to maintain a stable, motivated, and highly skilled teaching workforce, which is crucial for advancing Ghana's educational system.
Abstrak
Sekolah-sekolah di Ghana sedang menghadapi krisis retensi guru yang parah, dengan hanya 36 persen guru dalam survei distrik yang berencana untuk tetap menjabat. Peneliti melakukan survei komprehensif terhadap 138 guru untuk mendalami alasan mereka ingin meninggalkan profesinya. Tema-tema umum muncul, termasuk gaji rendah, kondisi kerja yang buruk, dan beban kerja yang sangat berat. Selain itu, kekhawatiran mengenai kesejahteraan guru dan menurunnya status profesi guru juga disoroti sebagai permasalahan yang signifikan. Studi ini berusaha mengidentifikasi strategi untuk menjaga keterlibatan guru, dengan menggunakan teori tentang pergantian karyawan untuk memandu analisis. Melalui pemeriksaan yang cermat terhadap respons survei, para peneliti menunjukkan strategi utama untuk mengatasi krisis ini. Hal ini termasuk mengurangi beban kerja guru, memperbaiki kondisi kerja, dan meningkatkan prestise dan status profesi guru. Penelitian ini memberikan wawasan berharga bagi para pembuat kebijakan yang mencari solusi efektif terhadap masalah retensi guru di Ghana. Temuan-temuan ini menggarisbawahi kebutuhan mendesak untuk mengatasi faktor-faktor yang mendorong guru menjauh dan menerapkan strategi yang dapat mempertahankan tenaga pengajar yang stabil, termotivasi, dan berketerampilan tinggi, yang sangat penting bagi kemajuan sistem pendidikan Ghana.
Kata Kunci: pergantian karyawan; pengurangan guru; retensi guru
References
Abdulkareem, H. B., & Lasis, K. A. (2024). Effects of imago relationship therapy on spousal’s emotional instability married teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Inovasi Kurikulum, 21(2), 1069–1086.
Abetang, M. A., Oguma, R. N., & Abetang, A. P. (2020). Mentoring and the difference it makes in teachers’ work: A literature review. European Journal of Education Studies, 7(6), 301–323.
Acheampong, P., & Gyasi, J. F. (2019). Teacher retention: A review of policies for motivating rural basic school teachers in Ghana. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 5(1), 86–92.
Ali, B. J., & Anwar, G. (2021). An empirical study of employees’ motivation and its influence job satisfaction. International Journal of Engineering, Business, and Management, 5(2), 21–30.
Ankomah, R. O., & Dzikunu, C. K. (2024). Occupational stress and administrators’ levels of job satisfaction in the University of Education, Winneba. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research, 10(2), 63–82.
Aronson, B., Anderson, A. B., Ellison, S., Barczak, K., & Bennett-Kinne, A. (2021). “The last refuge of the incompetent”: Urban teacher perceptions of their positions in public discourse. Educational Studies, 57(1), 21–36.
Bardach, L., Klassen, R. M., & Perry, N. E. (2022). Teachers’ psychological characteristics: Do they matter for teacher effectiveness, teachers’ well-being, retention, and interpersonal relations? An integrative review. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 259–300.
Blackmore, J., Hobbs, L., & Rowlands, J. (2024). Aspiring teachers, financial incentives, and principals’ recruitment practices in hard-to-staff schools. Journal of Education Policy, 39(2), 233–252.
Boateng, S. S. (2019). Teachers’ attrition at pre-tertiary level in Ghana: A qualitative investigation into its causes and suggestions. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(14), 139–149.
Buabeng, I., Ntow, F. D., & Otami, C. D. (2020). Teacher education in Ghana: Policies and practices. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 9(1), 86–95.
Budiharso, T., & Tarman, B. (2020). Improving quality education through better working conditions of academic institutes. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 7(1), 99–115.
Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). The trouble with teacher turnover: How teacher attrition affects students and schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(36), 1–32.
Chaudhuri, J. D. (2020). Stimulating intrinsic motivation in millennial students: A new generation, a new approach. Anatomical Sciences Education, 13(2), 250–271.
Chen, S., Ntim, S. Y., Zhao, Y., & Qin, J. (2023). Characteristics and influencing factors of early childhood teachers’ work stress and burnout: A comparative study between China, Ghana, and Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(1). 1-15.
Creagh, S., Thompson, G., Mockler, N., Stacey, M., & Hogan, A. (2023). Workload, work intensification and time poverty for teachers and school leaders: A systematic research synthesis. Educational Review, 76(7), 1735–1754.
Danku, B. E. M. (2022). Evaluating organisational factors and tutor burnout in Akatsi College of Education, Ghana. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 4(5), 190–202.
DeMatthews, D. E., Knight, D. S., & Shin, J. (2022). The principal-teacher churn: Understanding the relationship between leadership turnover and teacher attrition. Educational Administration Quarterly, 58(1), 76–109.
Drane, C. F., Vernon, L., & Shea, S. O. (2021). Vulnerable learners in the age of COVID-19: A scoping review. The Australian Educational Researcher, 48(4), 585–604.
Edú-Valsania, S., Laguía, A., & Moriano, J. A. (2022). Burnout: A review of theory and measurement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1-27
Fitzgerald, S., McGrath-Champ, S., Stacey, M., Wilson, R., & Gavin, M. (2019). Intensification of teachers’ work under devolution: A ‘tsunami’ of paperwork. Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(5), 613–636.
Gorni, R. L., & Saud, S. (2023). Teacher education: A comparative analysis between colleges of education and universities with implications for Ghana. International Journal of Science and Society, 5(5), 656–667.
Govender, S., & Ajani, O. A. (2021). Monitoring and evaluation of teacher professional development for resourceful classroom practices. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(4), 870–879.
Grissom, J. A., & Bartanen, B. (2019). Strategic retention: Principal effectiveness and teacher turnover in multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems. American Educational Research Journal, 56(2), 514–555.
Heffernan, A., Bright, D., Kim, M., Longmuir, F., & Magyar, B. (2022). ‘I cannot sustain the workload and the emotional toll’: Reasons behind Australian teachers’ intentions to leave the profession. Australian Journal of Education, 66(2), 196–209.
Heffernan, T. A., & Heffernan, A. (2019). The academic exodus: The role of institutional support in academics leaving universities and the academy. Professional Development in Education, 45(1), 102–113.
Kallio, T., Siekkinen, T., Pekkola, E., Kivistö, J., Nokkala, T., & Kuoppakangas, P. (2024). Push and pull factors affecting in leaving academia. Tertiary Education and Management, 30(1), 65–80.
Kim, L. E., Owusu, K., & Asbury, K. (2024). The ups and downs in perceived societal appreciation of the teaching profession during COVID-19: A longitudinal trajectory analysis. British Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 93–111.
Levatino, A., Ferrer-Esteban, G., & Verger, A. (2024). Unveiling teachers’ work preferences: A conjoint experiment on the implications of school governance reform across three countries. Teaching and Teacher Education, 146, Article 104642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104642
Levatino, A., Parcerisa, L., & Verger, A. (2024). Understanding the stakes: The influence of accountability policy options on teachers’ responses. Educational Policy, 38(1), 31–60.
Mabaso, C. M., & Dlamini, B. I. (2021). Recent study on the impact of compensation and benefits on job satisfaction. Insights Into Economics and Management, 7(1), 55–68.
Maxwell, B. (2020). Demoralized: Why teachers leave the profession they love and how they can stay (Doris Santoro) [Book review]. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 26(2), 184–187.
Mukhiya, R. B., & Mainali, H. L. (2023). Assessment of the primary schools’ physical environment in Harion Municipality, Sarlahi. Chaturbhujeshwar Academic Journal, 1(1), 97–110.
Nápoles, J. (2022). Burnout: A review of the literature. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 40(2), 19–26.
Pagán-Castaño, E., Sánchez-García, J., Garrigos-Simon, F. J., & Guijarro-García, M. (2021). The influence of management on teacher well-being and the development of sustainable schools. Sustainability, 13(5), 1-23
Paufler, N. A. (2018). Declining morale, diminishing autonomy, and decreasing value: Principal reflections on a high-stakes teacher evaluation system. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 13(8), 1–15.
Perryman, J., & Calvert, G. (2020). What motivates people to teach, and why do they leave? Accountability, performativity and teacher retention. British Journal of Educational Studies, 68(1), 1–23.
Pogere, E. F., López-Sangil, M. C., García-Señorán, M. M., & González, A. (2019). Teachers’ job stressors and coping strategies: Their structural relationships with emotional exhaustion and autonomy support. Teaching and Teacher Education, 85, 269–280.
Proudfoot, K. (2023). Inductive/deductive hybrid thematic analysis in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(3), 308–326.
Rajendran, N., Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2020). Teacher burnout and turnover intent. Australian Educational Researcher, 47(3), 477–500.
Räsänen, K., Pietarinen, J., Pyhältö, K., Soini, T., & Väisänen, P. (2020). Why leave the teaching profession? A longitudinal approach to the prevalence and persistence of teacher turnover intentions. Social Psychology of Education, 23(4), 837–859.
Reckhow, S., Tompkins-Stange, M., & Galey-Horn, S. (2021). How the political economy of knowledge production shapes education policy: The case of teacher evaluation in federal policy discourse. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 43(3), 472–494.
Rosmanida, R., Yeni, C., Kurnia, E. D., Reskina, R., Ningsih, I., & Safrudin, S. (2022). The effect of salary amount on teachers’ performance. Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary Science, 1(5), 500–505.
Sam, F., Effah, B., & Osei-Owusu, B. (2014). Exploring issues of teacher retention and attrition in Ghana: A case study of Public Senior High Schools in Kwabre East district of Ashanti region-Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(1), 83–89.
Schaack, D. D., Donovan, C. V., Adejumo, T., & Ortega, M. (2022). To stay or to leave: Factors shaping early childhood teachers’ turnover and retention decisions. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 36(2), 327–345.
Scott, B. S. (2019). Factors influencing teacher burnout and retention strategies (Honors research project, The University of Akron). IdeaExchange@UAkron.
Simmie, G. M., Moles, J., & O’Grady, E. (2019). Good teaching as a messy narrative of change within a policy ensemble of networks, superstructures and flows. Critical Studies in Education, 60(1), 55–72.
Sorensen, L. C., & Ladd, H. F. (2020). The hidden costs of teacher turnover. AERA Open, 6(1), 1–24.
Stacey, M., McGrath-Champ, S., & Wilson, R. (2023). Teacher attributions of workload increase in public sector schools: Reflections on change and policy development. Journal of Educational Change, 24(4), 971–993.
Stacey, M., Wilson, R., McGrath-Champ, S., & Stacey, M. (2020). Triage in teaching: The nature and impact of workload in schools. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 40(4), 501–514.
Toropova, A., Myrberg, E., & Johansson, S. (2021). Teacher job satisfaction: The importance of school working conditions and teacher characteristics. Educational Review, 73(1), 71–97.
Tsang, K. K., Teng, Y., Lian, Y., & Wang, L. (2021). School management culture, emotional labor, and teacher burnout in mainland China. Sustainability, 13(16), Article 9141.
Urbański, M. (2022). Comparing push and pull factors affecting migration. Economies, 10(1), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10010021
Vagi, R., Pivovarova, M., & Miedel Barnard, W. (2019). Keeping our best? A survival analysis examining a measure of preservice teacher quality and teacher attrition. Journal of Teacher Education, 70(2), 115–127.
Wang, F., Pollock, K., & Hauseman, C. (2023). Time demands and emotionally draining situations amid work intensification of school principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 59(1), 112–142.
Wiggan, G., Smith, D., & Watson-Vandiver, M. J. (2021). The national teacher shortage, urban education and the cognitive sociology of labor. The Urban Review, 53(1), 43–75.
Zamir, S. (2018). A teaching career: Mobility and stagnation. Athens Journal of Education, 5(2), 145–160.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Richard Lionel Gorni, Diding Nurdin, Johar Permana, Djaman Satori
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
